Your Owner, Remus Lupin
by Lady Flames
Summary: The diary of Lupin in his first year at Hogwarts. [Summery may change... genre may change...] Please R&R! Chapter FOUR, UP!
1. Chapter 1

Dear Diary,

I am sitting on the train – to Hogwarts! I was accepted! Amazing, considering who… what… I am. Quite something. I am sitting alone in my carriage. I hope nobody comes in. I don't think I'll be able to sustain conversation for very long. Oh, dear. A boy – also looks about eleven, like me – just came in. Oh, dear.

I'm feeling happier now – James (for that is his name) is a very nice person. Definitely put that down as a good first impression, diary. I should describe him, just to give this book a little more depth than 'This is my life. The end.'

He's of average height, and very skinny. His hair is black, and on the extreme side of messy. I can't tell if this is intended or natural. He's very talkative, although I think that may just be first-day-of-school nerves. Here he comes now… more later.

Another boy has joined James and I in our compartment. His name is Sirius Black, and James seems to be already quite friendly with him. I think they met on the platform.

Sirius has big gray eyes, and black hair, which is quite long, considering he _is_ a boy. Call me old fashioned if you will…! He seems to take pride in the fact that it irritates his parents. He's taller than both James and myself, but not by very much. He's less talkative than James, though as I said before, James could just be nervous.

They've challenged me to wizard's chess – they're in for a surprise!

Until next time, then, diary?

Your Owner,

Remus Lupin.


	2. Chapter 2

_-punches air- Yessssss! _**Little Moon Marauder**, _you are my hero! Thanks for reviewing!_

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**Disclaimer: On a more serious note, I do not own Harry Potter or any of the characters. JK Rowling owns them. Really.**

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_So here we are with chapter two! Hoorah! Well, what canI say except - enjoy!

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Dear Diary, _

I'm still on the train. James is now sulking because I beat him at wizard's chess three times in a row. Sirius decided that he didn't feel like playing any more, after that. It feels weird to be with people my own age. I think this year at Hogwarts will be really something.

James is now jumping around the room, defeat apparently forgotten, because Sirius just offered to buy him a Pumpkin Pasty. I just hope he doesn't break anything. Oh, no, there goes the baggage rack. I think I'd better go separate the two of them and rescue my bag before anything else happens.

That's done. A girl with very red hair has just stuck her nose in here to tell us to be quiet. Sirius and James thought that that was very funny, and I must admit to joining in on the laughter. She threatened to call a Prefect, but Sirius told her not to bother and she left in a huff. Girls!

I still can't believe that I was accepted to Hogwarts. When that letter came, I think I almost cried. Almost. I do have my pride. Well, I think I'll stop dwelling on the impossibility of it all – I have the horrible feeling that I'm going to wake up and it'll all have been a dream.

James, as it turns out, is a Quidditch fanatic. I've never played, myself, though. It's quite funny to hear him going on as though he's a world expert – and Sirius contradicting his every word.

They're starting to tease me about you, diary, so I'll stop now.

Your Owner,

Remus John Lupin.

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Dear Diary, 

Hogwarts! Hogwarts! Hoggy-warty Hogwarts! Teach us something please! Whether we be old and bald or young with scabby knees! I can't even remember the rest of the words…

I'm supposed to be sleeping now, but if I don't tell you about the Sorting Ceremony and the Feast, I'll forget to ever tell you.

We got off the train and grabbed our trunks. A very tall boy told me to just leave mine on the platform, but I wasn't sure whether to trust him – I've heard about First-Year-Baiting. So I just stood there like an idiot, not wanting to be left behind, but not wanting to leave my trunk.

"Firs' years!" came a very, very loud voice, and a _giant_ of a man strode through the crowds of students. "Firs' years over 'ere." Sorry about that, I'm trying to faithfully reproduce his accent, but it's harder on paper.

I decided to leave my bag – I could always go back and get it – and followed the man through the crowds to a lake. Several small boats sat at the water's edge. We were instructed to get in, four to a boat. James and Sirius hailed me to their boat, and the redhead from the train joined us. She refused to speak to James or Sirius, but introduced herself to me as Lily Evans. I think her coolness towards the others may have had something to do with the fact that James had let a rat loose on the train, and it ran into her carriage. Sirius had followed and tried to catch the rat, in the process knocking over everything there was _to_ knock over, including James (who found it very funny and kept tripping Sirius up), Lily and her companions. I then tried to help, and accidentally enlarged the rat, at which point one of Lily's carriage-mates fainted. As I was standing behind the door to avoid being trampled by Sirius, Lily assumed that the swollen rat was James' creation. Before she could begin to yell, scream and possibly curse, a Prefect came along, froze the rat and told us all to get into our robes before we caused any more havoc. Lily gave James a _very_ sour look, and promptly shoved the lot of us out of her carriage.

Anyway, she wasn't very talkative (having seen me with J&S earlier, I can't blame her for being suspicious) and we rounded a bend in silence.

And then we saw it. The castle that is… Hogwarts!

"Blimey!" gasped James. I quite agreed, but could do nothing but nod and stare at the candle-lit building.

Lily was nodding, too, until she realised who had spoken. She contented herself with turning her back and sniffing loudly, contemptuously at us. She needn't have bothered. Neither James nor Sirius was paying her any attention at all.

We sailed up to the castle, got out of the boats and followed the giant, whose name I learnt was Hagrid, up to the castle. A stern-looking witch met us at the door and relieved Hagrid of his charges.

"Wait here, please." She left us to simmer in the entrance hall and disappeared into the great double doors that must lead to where the rest of the school was.

James and Sirius had recovered from their temporary silence. They were chattering excitedly, and I was draw into the conversation. They really are very nice people, for all their noise. A boy most rudely interrupted us with long silvery-blonde hair bulling through us, behind who trailed two boys who looked like they had more muscle than brainpower. Far more. Without doubt.

"What's _his_ problem?" I wondered aloud.

"Lucius Malfoy," sneered Sirius, with quite unnecessary venom, I thought. He didn't look very eager to elaborate, so I left it at that.

The stern witch returned. "Attention," she said, and everyone fell silent – except Lucius, who was whispering something to his cronies. She gave him the Eye (which he completely failed to see) and continued. "Behind this door is the Great Hall of Hogwarts. It is there that you will be sorted into your respective houses. Your House will be like your family at Hogwarts. Any achievements on your part will earn points for your House, and any… wrongdoing (here she paused to look at James and me. No idea why…) will cause loss of points for your House. The House with the most points at the year will receive the House Cup. The four Houses are: Gryffindor, Slytherin, Hufflepuff and Ravenclaw. Follow me, please." And she led us into the Great Hall.

What a Hall! It was huge, with four tables running down it - one for each House. The ceiling reflected the cloudy sky outside. I found myself telling J&S that it was enchanted, and there _was_ actually a roof there. I read it in _Hogwarts: A History_. I don't know how I remembered it, but J&S seemed duly impressed. We walked up between the House tables, and approached the main table. Right in the centre of the table sat an old, bearded man. His eyes twinkled, and I could've sworn he waved at me.

A man hobbled up wearing a moth-eaten suit and carrying a stool and a battered-looking hat. The stern witch said something to him, and he replied, "Certainly, Professor." That's how I figured out she was a teacher. Silly, isn't it? If this was a novel, I'd have said 'from the way she spoke', or some such thing. But this isn't a novel, so the stupid, boring truth is okay.

Anyway, back to the story. She put the hat on the stool and walked away. We all stared at her (all the first years), but I saw that the rest of the school was watching the hat, so I switched my focus. Eventually, all of us figured it out – so here was the entire school staring at an old dusty hat. It's ridiculous when I see it here, written down, but at the time the tension was unbearable. J wanted to know 'what the bloody hell we were supposed to be seeing, exactly?', but S shut him up with a well-placed elbow.

And then the rip at the brim of the hat opened wide – and it started to sing!

I'll see if I can remember what it said… hang on.

_Oh, you may not think I'm pretty,  
But don't judge on what you see,  
I'll eat myself if you can find  
A smarter hat than me.  
You can keep your bowlers black;  
your top hats sleek and tall,  
for I'm the Hogwarts Sorting Hat  
And I can cap them all.  
There's nothing hidden in your head  
The Sorting Hat can't see,  
so try me on and I will tell you  
where you ought to be.  
A thousand years or more ago,  
When I was newly sewn,  
There lived four wizards of renown,  
Whose names are still well known:  
Bold Gryffindor, from wild moor,  
Fair Ravenclaw, from glen,  
Sweet Hufflepuff, from valley broad,  
Shrewd Slytherin, from fen.  
They shared a wish, a hope, a dream;  
they hatched a daring plan  
to educate young sorcerers  
Thus Hogwarts School Began.  
Said Slytherin, 'We'll teach just those  
whose ancestry is purest.'  
Said Ravenclaw, 'We'll teach those whose  
Intelligence is surest.'  
Said Gryffindor, 'We'll teach all those  
with brave deeds to their name.'  
Said Hufflepuff, 'I'll teach the lot,  
and treat them just the same.'  
These differences caused little strife  
when first came to light,  
for each of the four founders had  
a house in which they might  
take only those they wanted,  
__For instance, Slytherin  
Took only pure-blood wizards  
Of great cunning, just like him,  
And only those of sharpest mind  
Were taught by Ravenclaw  
While the bravest and boldest  
Went to daring Gryffindor  
Good Hufflepuff, she took the rest,  
and taught them all she knew,  
Thus the houses and their founders  
Retained friendship firm and true.  
While still alive they did divide  
their favourites from the throng,  
yet how to pick the worthy ones  
when they were dead and gone?  
'Twas Gryffindor who found the way,  
He whipped me off his head –  
the founders put some brains in me  
so I could choose instead!  
Now slip me snug about your ears,  
I've never yet been wrong,  
I'll have a look inside your brain  
and see where you belong!_

There! I think that's it! It's much longer when you write it down than when you sing it, I think. So where was I? Oh, yes. So after the Hat had sung its song, the whole school applauded, and then the Professor took out a roll of parchment and began reading names off of it. My first thought was, 'Oh, dear.'

She reached S quite quickly (his surname IS Black, after all), and he went up looking quite pale. He gripped the stool quite hard, and when the Hat was put on his head it sat there quite a while before yelling, "Gryffindor!"

The table under the banner of red and gold erupted into applause, and S looked so relieved as he staggered down there. Miscellaneous others were sorted, including Lily to Gryffindor, and then it was _my_ turn. Once again, I thought 'Oh, dear.' I think that could be the understatement of the year.

I stumbled up to the stool and sat down. The Hat came over my eyes, so I couldn't see the school watching me – a mercy, since I think I would have thrown up there and then if I could.

_Hmm…_ said a voice in my head. _Quite intelligent, this one. A strong chance for Ravenclaw, I think._

'…' I couldn't think of anything to say to this presence in my head.

_Yes, I think it had better be – _

'Not Ravenclaw!' I shouted in my head. 'Please,' I added quickly.

_Not?_ _You could be really good there, you know. Hmm… I see. Yes, well, then. If you're sure…?_

'I am!' I still have no idea why the idea of going to Ravenclaw repulsed me so much. I think it may merely have been because I didn't know anyone who had been placed in Ravenclaw, but I don't think the Hat would've let me off for such a small thing. Who knows?

_Then you'll be perfect in…_

"GRYFFINDOR!" the Hat yelled aloud. The old wizard at the table smiled at me, as the Hat came off my head, and then I stumbled down the steps to meet my fellow Gryffindors – who, thankfully, included S. Phew!

The rest of the Sorting took relatively quick – possibly because my own little ordeal was over – and then the Professor called out, "Potter, James."

J climbed the stairs. The Hat was lowered – and it had _barely_ _touched_ his head when it yelled, "GRYFFINDOR!"

So the three of us are together! Hoorah!

I just suddenly remembered. The Hat did almost the same thing for some of the new Slytherins. Shouting 'Slytherin!' almost at once, I mean. It did it for Lucius (who looked dead chuffed), and for this skinny kid with greasy black hair. Snape, I think he was called.

So then the old man got up to make a speech. I heard a round-faced boy (Longbottom, Frank, I think) ask who he was – and was rewarded with a scathing look and a snapped, 'He's Dumbledore, idiot!' I suddenly feel a strangely like kindred spirits with F – I didn't know either. So that's Dumbledore, I thought. The man who accepted me, even though I am what I am. I prepared myself to listen to _every word_ of his speech, no matter how boring, to show my respect, but he merely said,

"There are times when long speeches are most appropriate. I think you'll agree that this is not one of them. I only have a few words for you – nitwit, oddment, blubber, tweak!"

And then he sat down.

"What the – "

"Potatoes, Potter?" asked a tall black-haired girl with a shiny badge on her front that said 'Prefect', grinning.

"Huh?" James turned his stupefied look from Dumbledore (who was now enjoying some roast beef, as far as I could see) to the table.

"Dig in, Jamesie!" said Sirius, piling his plate high with all the foodstuffs that had just appeared on the plates that covered the table.

"Remy…" James looked at me. "Pinch me."

"_Remy?_"

"Sorry, Lupsy."

"_Lupsy?_"

"I'm trying to give you a nickname!"

"Well, try harder!" I pinched him rather harder than necessary. Remy indeed!

"Ow! Okay! I surrender!"

"Um! Miff it goob!" mumbled Sirius. He swallowed and grinned. "Not hungry, James?"

"Huh!" James began to pile his plate with food, and I did likewise. I think, judging from Professor Dumbledore's speech, that this will be a very interesting year.

I'm so tired. More in the morning, diary…

Your (tired, yet very excited) Owner,

Remus J. Lupin  
(NOT Remy. Or Lupsy. Huh!)

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_Author's Note: I suck at song-writing, so I just cobbled that together from my favourite parts of the songs that the Hat songs in the books. My apologies._


	3. Chapter 3

**Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter or any of the characters thereof.**

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**Dear Diary, 

We got lost today. Completely, hopelessly lost. The caretaker, Filch (what a name!) swooped down on us as we were trying to open a door that wasn't (a door, I mean. It was a wall just pretending) and sneered down his nose at us while directing us to our class – 'next time it'll be detention' 'string you up by your ankles', that sort of thing. It's not a very charitable thing to say, but I really don't like him – or his ghastly cat. I heard an older girl call it 'Horrid Norris', but somehow I don't think that's anything more than a nickname. I never have liked cats, somehow.

Anyway, we finally arrived in our first class of the day, Transfiguration. We actually managed to be on time – barely, but still. Professor McGonagall is _not_ one to cross. I think she looks like a hawk – on the lookout for any misbehaving! According to her, "Transfiguration is some of the most complex and dangerous magic you will learn at Hogwarts" (cue J&S exchanging dubious glances) and "anyone misbehaving in my lessons will leave and not come back. Consider this your warning."

And then, and I'm being totally truthful here, she changed her desk into a cow. Honest to goodness, she did! (and, cue gasp of "Merlin's beard!" from J) And then she changed it back again. I started thinking that Transfiguration isn't going to be so bad… and then she told us to take out our parchment, and began to dictate some very complicated notes. She just recited them, off-by-heart, and James reckons she tells the same thing to every single first year class, year in and year out. It isn't heard to believe that in twenty years time (or so) she'll stand in front of a new first year class and begin, "Quills out, everyone."

Finally, she handed out the matches. We were ordered to change them into pins. I pulled out my wand along with everyone else and glared at my match, trying to remember all she'd taught. After much poking and prodding, there was a cry to my right, and I turned to see that James had set his match alight – and the fire was inching toward my brand-new quill. I yanked the quill out of reach, only to have the sleeve of my robe catch fire. I heard some girls scream, and I waved it around for effect, hastily trying to remember if I'd read anything about putting out fires in my textbooks. "Er, _Aqua Erupto_?" I asked my wand quietly, and water completely failed to appear. Suddenly the fire went out, and I looked up to see McGonagall looming over me. Now _there's_ someone who has totally perfected the art of looming.

"I was under the impression, Mr. Lupin, that we supposed to be Transfiguring matches, not setting ourselves alight."

I tried to smile, but she wasn't falling for it. "Let us see you Transfigure that matchstick."

"Uh…" I looked at J, who shrugged apologetically. S, who was on his other side, mouthed something that could either have been, 'don't worry you're a genius' or something obscene that I wont repeat. You never do know, with S.

"Well?" The whole class was looking at me. My face was on fire, but I screwed up all my courage and poked my wand at the matchstick, exactly as I'd been taught. The matchstick turned a very strange shade of grey but MG scooped up my match-pin-hybrid and displayed it to the class. I think in another minute my face would have actually set caught fire. MG gave me 10 points for Gryffindor, which was nice, and then the lesson was (thankfully) over.

As soon as we were out of eye-and-earshot I raised my book bag and whacked J with it.

"OW!"

"That's for setting me on fire, idiot!" I was rather heated.

"Hey, Lupin, not much of an actor, are you? I mean – teacher's _pet_?" Much laughter. We turned to see Lucius and his goons.

My first thought was "_He knows…_" – but before my train of thought could run any further off the tracks, S rushed to my defence.

"What do you mean by that, Luci-puss?"

Malfoy's lip curled. "I see your standards have not risen since I last had the… _pleasure_… of running into you."

"Good thing too, because if they hadn't I might be stuck with a load of morons like your little gang." S swung his case over his shoulder dramatically and began to walk casually away. J and I hurried after him, also trying to maintain an aura of cool. Lucius, from the sneaked look over my shoulder, looked ready to murder S, so it's best that we did.

I think I may have made an enemy.

Anyway, J is calling me – I think he wants to show me something. It will probably end in mischief, with trouble coming a close second.

Your Owner,

Remus J. Lupin


	4. Chapter 4

_After a long absence due to sucky real life, I'm back! Whoo!_

_Hope you enjoy!_

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**Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter, or any of the characters mentioned here.**

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Dear Diary,

Do you know what burning quills small like? It's awful, really. Having to sit through a whole lesson breathing the foul smell in was punishment enough, but I don't think MG would appreciate any argument at this point.

J and S found this spell that sets things alight, and they decided to try it out in Charms this morning. All right, I wasn't a _totally_ innocent bystander. I suppose I _did_ help J to get the knack of it, but **I didn't know what they were going to do with it!** Should have guessed it wasn't all _that_ savoury, but I wanted to finish my chapter and they kept bugging me until I helped them…

Anyway, long story short, in the middle of Charms, Lucius' quill began to burn. He snuffed it out, glaring suspiciously at the seemingly innocent S and J, and got a new one. Then that greasy-haired kid, Snape's quill started to burn. He was at a total loss, staring at it blankly for a few moments as smoke curled upwards from the tip of his quill. Finally, he snapped into action, hurriedly dropping it on the floor and stamping it out.

I could have sworn I saw J smirk with satisfaction, but I had no time to dwell on it as quill after quill began to burn. One girl – Arabella Munn, I think, her name is – started to cry.

And now here we are in detention, cleaning up the Charms classroom. Why, I have to ask, do they _always_ assume I'm in on it when J&S pull a prank? Honestly. Just because they're my friends…

So, anyway, they're cleaning – no magic allowed, see? – and I'm writing in my diary. I've done the quarter of the classroom I assigned myself (just so that I could say I cleaned and not lie) and then told J and S that I refuse to do anything more for something that I didn't even do. For some reason, this got them all worked up, but artfully setting fire to their hair worked _miracles_. Must remember that one…!

Dear Diary,

The Potions Master, Professor Slughorn, was very upset when I turned down an invitation to join his Slug Club for a tea party. All because I brewed a silly potion well!

I'm not as good as Snape, though. For all that he's an unpleasant person, he's a genius at Potions. Needless to say, he received an invitation too. Turned it down as well, surprisingly. I would have thought L would've enjoyed having a friend who was friends with a teacher.

I get the impression that Slughorn's trying to find out more about me. It's disconcerting. I wish he'd stop asking me about my parents. _I_ _don't want to talk about them_.

We had another run-in with Malfoy and his gang after Potions today.

I'm convinced that they know about me. L made another 'pet' comment, thanks to Slughorn's invite. J was thankfully quick to point out that Snape also got an invite, which shut them up long enough for us to get out of the dungeons.

I hate that place. It's dark, and cold, and smelly, and all those potions sitting around just put me on edge. I mean, what if one fell over? The whole class would fall in love with each other, or grow an extra arm, or become unbelievably lucky, or sprout boils everywhere. Not something I'd look forward to. Well, maybe irrational luck would come in handy...

I have to go now. I smell something, and I have a bad feeling that J&S are going to be very close to whatever it is, with an explosion or suitably horrible results following close behind. They really just seem to attract trouble wherever they go, and then to make it worse they can't seem to resist causing it _deliberately_!

Anyway, until next time.

Your Owner,

Remus Lupin.

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Dear Diary, 

I'm worried. It's nearly… that time of the month.

_Wow_, that sounded **bad**… Hah, thank goodness I managed to find a spell that means only **I** can read you, diary. If S or J read that, I'd probably never live it down.

Anyway, the calendar says that it's full moon in three days. Damn it. (Looks like J&S are rubbing off one me!) Perhaps I should go talk to Dumbledore? He knows what I am, after all. He may have some idea of what on _earth_ I'm supposed to do.

Three days.

I think I'm going to ask MG where his office is.

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_There we have it..._

_-looks meaningfully at reviewbutton-_


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